He changed what was working during the first two periods in the hopes of protecting a lead by playing too defensively.

After the game he stated that was not the plan. Athough the evidence said otherwise.

I think Ralph is over his head coaching this team in this league.

So, you think Krueger was telling them to lose every battle in the third period to protect the lead? Some of you guys seem to have to always have someone to blame, so anything you can twist to blame someone, you do. All it looked like to me is the players gassed after just getting back from the longest road trip in their history. They stopped winning any battles or getting to the lose pucks. Then when they actually had the puck they started panicking with it because Detroit was all over them, rather than making plays.

I didn't see anything that suggested a change in coaching strategy, other than less playing time for a Harti and Yak, who have a history of game losing mess ups in the third period/overtime.

Every year this happens, no matter who the coach, and everyone always freaks out, "OH THE COACH IS TURTLING, WHAT AN IDIOT, THIS LOSS IS ALL HIS FAULT". Fact is, players always play more carefully when they have the lead in the third - as you should. Some players aren't very good at that and go too far and kill the offense too much (defensemen in particular tend to just panic and dump it out rather than trying to make a play, which is the main reason for the offense dying). It has very little to do with the coaching, and every coach in the league would get your wrath when it doesn't work out. And this is a young, mediocre team, so it's not going to work out A LOT. Have you guys not noticed the same thing happening throughout the oilers history, no matter the coach? It happens to all the other teams too, you just don't watch all their games so you don't notice. You don't always need a witch hunt and someone to point the finger at.

So, you think Krueger was telling them to lose every battle in the third period to protect the lead? Some of you guys seem to have to always have someone to blame, so anything you can twist to blame someone, you do. All it looked like to me is the players gassed after just getting back from the longest road trip in their history. They stopped winning any battles or getting to the lose pucks. Then when they actually had the puck they started panicking with it because Detroit was all over them, rather than making plays.

I didn't see anything that suggested a change in coaching strategy, other than less playing time for a Harti and Yak, who have a history of game losing mess ups in the third period/overtime.

Every year this happens, no matter who the coach, and everyone always freaks out, "OH THE COACH IS TURTLING, WHAT AN IDIOT, THIS LOSS IS ALL HIS FAULT". Fact is, players always play more carefully when they have the lead in the third - as you should. Some players aren't very good at that and go too far and kill the offense too much (defensemen in particular tend to just panic and dump it out rather than trying to make a play, which is the main reason for the offense dying). It has very little to do with the coaching, and every coach in the league would get your wrath when it doesn't work out. And this is a young, mediocre team, so it's not going to work out A LOT. Have you guys not noticed the same thing happening throughout the oilers history, no matter the coach? It happens to all the other teams too, you just don't watch all their games so you don't notice. You don't always need a witch hunt and someone to point the finger at.

Name an example of either of these players' game losing mess ups in the third period/overtime. It should be easy for you given their "history."

It is very simple. The team that had Hartikainen and Yakupov in the line up dominated Detroit at both ends of the ice through 40 minutes. Despite that fact Krueger decided to ice a team that, inexplicably, replaced them with far worse hockey players in the third. That is why he fails.

So, you think Krueger was telling them to lose every battle in the third period to protect the lead? Some of you guys seem to have to always have someone to blame, so anything you can twist to blame someone, you do. All it looked like to me is the players gassed after just getting back from the longest road trip in their history. They stopped winning any battles or getting to the lose pucks. Then when they actually had the puck they started panicking with it because Detroit was all over them, rather than making plays.

I didn't see anything that suggested a change in coaching strategy, other than less playing time for a Harti and Yak, who have a history of game losing mess ups in the third period/overtime.

Every year this happens, no matter who the coach, and everyone always freaks out, "OH THE COACH IS TURTLING, WHAT AN IDIOT, THIS LOSS IS ALL HIS FAULT". Fact is, players always play more carefully when they have the lead in the third - as you should. Some players aren't very good at that and go too far and kill the offense too much (defensemen in particular tend to just panic and dump it out rather than trying to make a play, which is the main reason for the offense dying). It has very little to do with the coaching, and every coach in the league would get your wrath when it doesn't work out. And this is a young, mediocre team, so it's not going to work out A LOT. Have you guys not noticed the same thing happening throughout the oilers history, no matter the coach? It happens to all the other teams too, you just don't watch all their games so you don't notice. You don't always need a witch hunt and someone to point the finger at.

No not telling them to lose battles, benching players and messing with the lines that brought success.

And about hating every coach, the oilers just promote the last assistant, keeping what didn't work alive. They do the same with management too, just bringing back past failures instead of trying something new.

I'm sure Krueger told Brown to get a phantom call to put his team down. He then told Petry to shoot the puck into his own net.

Kruger does a lot of things wrong but he can't win games with **** like that going on. Petry then goes on to get undressed by the other teams best player in overtime. We didn't lose last night because of coaching (although it didn't exactly help).

I would have put Yak and Hall together in OT. They would have given Detroit fits with their blazing speed. Instead Kreuger decides to go with Smyth who is one of the slowest players on our team and who provides nearly no offensive threat whatsoever. Makes sense...

Will Krueger ever understand that our team does indeed have skill and his stupid ass is not coaching the Swiss team. Ryan Smyth is not more suitable to play in sudden death overtime then any player on the team. I just wish this team gave a **** about there fans and fire this moron. But hey this baboon might be the one to coach this team to its demise, and finally Tambo and Lowe and him can go run the Swiss national team together.

I'm sure Krueger told Brown to get a phantom call to put his team down. He then told Petry to shoot the puck into his own net.

Kruger does a lot of things wrong but he can't win games with **** like that going on. Petry then goes on to get undressed by the other teams best player in overtime. We didn't lose last night because of coaching (although it didn't exactly help).

Ultimately the players are responsible for the outcome of a game, the point is that Krueger is getting in their way by constantly tinkering with a winning line up when the team is playing with the lead.

I honestly think we'd have won last nights game if Krueger had stayed in the dressing room for the third period and told his assistants to roll the top 3 lines.

You can't help the reffing or an own goal but when you shorten the bench for defensive reasons it changes the players' mindsets. Now they're thinking defense first instead of playing assertively which is what was winning them the hockey game in the first place and makes things a lot more comfortable for the opposing team. It's like in football when a quarterback knows the other team isn't going to Blitz he can take his time in the pocket.

I would have put Yak and Hall together in OT. They would have given Detroit fits with their blazing speed. Instead Kreuger decides to go with Smyth who is one of the slowest players on our team and who provides nearly no offensive threat whatsoever. Makes sense...

Amen. I thought the combos in overtime sucked. They really need to start trying Yakupov with the other kids, worked with Hall on the 2nd goal. I'd try this.

Hall-Yak
Gagner-Paajarvii
RNH-Hemsky
Horcoff-Eberle

Or switch Yak and Hemsky. I think Eberle and RNH need some time apart.

I'm sure Krueger told Brown to get a phantom call to put his team down. He then told Petry to shoot the puck into his own net.

Kruger does a lot of things wrong but he can't win games with **** like that going on. Petry then goes on to get undressed by the other teams best player in overtime. We didn't lose last night because of coaching (although it didn't exactly help).

Bad things tend to start happening when you're playing not to lose. Refs tend to favour the team that's on the offensive as well.

I'm sure Krueger told Brown to get a phantom call to put his team down. He then told Petry to shoot the puck into his own net.

Kruger does a lot of things wrong but he can't win games with **** like that going on. Petry then goes on to get undressed by the other teams best player in overtime. We didn't lose last night because of coaching (although it didn't exactly help).

It isn't about "telling" anybody anything.

You don't have to tell the league leader in penalty minutes to go out and take a penalty for him to actually go out and manage to accomplish that.

Last night was the worst example of poor coaching this team has seen in 5 years of poor coaching. He didn't tell the team to play passive, but he scared the **** out of them when he messed with the lines. He made them feel like they had to be afraid of something.

It's been clear for 20 or so games now that he is holding the team back.

Agreed. Ten games we have lost when tied/leading after 2 periods.. this team could be safe in a playoff position right now. Probably even leading the division if it just knew how to play with a lead. Krueger is the man driving that ship by sending out defensive players when we have the lead and it's just not working. It hasn't worked all year. Figure it out, it shouldn't take a ****ing genius to understand that this team is much better suited to keep piling on goals instead of closing them out by sitting back. Like honestly, we lose more than we win when leading after two periods.. it's embarrassing. By now you'd think he'd get the memo.

**** this organization. Tambellini can't even find a coach that suits the team he's building for god sakes.